Buffy:The Vampire Diaries
by Raycheld22
Summary: **TVD/BTVS CrossOver** Set after the end of Season 4 Vampire Diaries. Buffy's gang gets called to Mystic Falls because of the big bad brewing. They're shocked at the differences in the vampires sprung from the originals. *Introduces an original character** I just thought it would be funny/fun to cross these two...please R&R. Also...title suggestions are very welcome.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary set up**

Pairings: Damon/Elena; Buffy/Xander; Willow/Oz; Caroline/Klaus; Matt/Rebecca; Stefan/Talia; Jeremy/Dawn

Summary: Buffy's gang gets called to Mystic Falls because of the big bad brewing. They are in for a shock at the town's integrated infestation and differences. A newbie slayer that has psychic abilities notices Stefan's difference. Katherine is in hiding from Klause, now that she's human.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with the television shows, this is strictly for entertainment purposes.

Side Note: Talia is an original character that I created. Don't get mad if you don't recognize her character, I'm just having fun writing this.

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**Chapter 1**

**E**lena was silent next to Caroline as Jeremy delivered his bombshell. He was still in Mystic Falls even though Bonnie had put the veil back up. She was afraid to let herself believe that he was really back for good. Her initial reaction was joy and she had already done the hugging and crying thing, but if this was real she knew she would be okay. He was on the phone with Matt, who was on a road trip with Rebecca, which was way too weird. Caroline shook her from her thoughts by taking her hand; she'd been spending way too much time in her own head lately. Elena still had random guilt attacks whenever she looked at Caroline. She had been so close to killing her, thanks to Alaric's training and her crazy, emotionless self. She could tell that she was about to say something to her when Jeremy ended his call with Matt and sat down in front of them. Elena's eyes filled with tears again and not for the first time, she wished Damon was back from whatever it was he was doing. Caroline's voice brought her back once more to herself.

"Jeremy, not that I'm not happy you're back, but where is Bonnie? Why didn't she come back with you?" He glanced away and Elena instantly knew something was wrong, she could always tell when he was keeping something from her. His voice was hesitant as well, so something was definitely up.

"She's spending time with her mother this summer, you know before college starts and all. Okay, so…is it alright for me to stay here? Matt said I could stay at the Lockwood mansion with him, but…I don't want to be that far away right now." Elena couldn't hold the tears back at that statement. Her and her brother had had some problems of late before he died, but he'd turned out to be one of her best friends. She thought she was gonna go crazy before and now she had him back.

"Jer, of course you can stay here, I'd love it…if you think you can handle it." Stefan rounded the corner with a big smile on his face, so unlike himself. He'd been acting so strange since they'd beat Silas. He clapped Jeremy on the arm and chuckled to himself.

"Of course, just pick an empty room… the more the merrier and all that." Caroline shared a worried look with her, something was definitely wrong, they just didn't know what. Jeremy raised an eyebrow but looked at Elena with a grin.

"Is there any way we can go shopping? I still have to finish high school, though explaining that is gonna be fun, but I have nothing. I need to get clothes and you know, stuff for showering." Caroline quickly interjected; Elena suspected that she didn't want her to freak out.

"Don't worry about school, Jeremy, my mom can say you were kidnapped or something. As for the clothes, a definite must. I mean, let's be honest…your old clothes were… well you needed a makeover anyway." They all laughed at her joke, but Elena still felt the sting. Jeremy saw it, however, and went to sit on the couch next to her.

"Don't feel bad about it, Elena, please. If the situation had been reversed, I'd probably have done the same thing. The idea of having to live alone, I mean it was bad enough watching you go through it. I'm just sorry that you had to feel that way at all and it's thanks to Bonnie, neither one of us will have to be alone again." She gave her best watery smile and tried to be happy that he was back for good. She just couldn't shake the feeling that there would be a consequence.

"I know Jeremy, and I'm so happy you're here, but it just doesn't seem real yet. Anyway, I'm all for the shopping, I just want to wait for Damon to get back first." As if on cue, Damon sauntered into the living room and stopped short at the sight before him.

"Well well well, this is certainly interesting; did Bonnie pull you back into the fray for good?" Jeremy nodded, but his eyes shifting from Damon back to Elena.

"Yeah she thought that she would have to give it a try before she closed the veil. I'm not so sure it was a good idea though, she used a lot of power." When his eyes darted away, Elena couldn't hold it anymore.

"Okay Jeremy, what the hell is going on with you? I can tell that you're not telling us something so why don't you just go ahead and say it." One of the bad things of being a vampire for Elena was that she just couldn't stop saying what she was thinking. The normal her would've let it go, but she knew something was wrong and she couldn't stand not knowing. Jeremy on the other hand really didn't want to tell her, he was doing his best to avoid her eyes. Caroline's sharp eyes were observing everything that he did as well. She took a step towards him but didn't touch him.

"You know Jeremy, she's right about that. It's so obvious that you're hiding something, is there something wrong with Bonnie?" Once again Jeremy looked at the floor, but when he looked up this time; his eyes were filled with tears. Elena didn't think she can handle any more pain. Yes having Jeremy back was amazing and she would be happy about that later, but right now she just wanted to get the bad news over with.

"Oh no Jer, please tell me she's okay." Jeremy was unable to speak; he could only shake his head. Damon sighed heavily as he walked further into the room, Stefan steered clear of him, it was something they all noticed but didn't comment on. Damon surprised everyone when he started speaking because he sounded genuinely sad.

"I know what happened, she gave her life to bring you back, didn't she?" Jeremy took a minute before speaking, so that he could compose himself.

"She didn't want me to tell you because we were finally all okay, but she died before graduation. Apparently when she put the veil back up, she was already gone. She had enough magic left to fix the veil, and I guess to bring me back too. She said she did it for Elena, that she couldn't stand the thought of me being dead and Elena being alone with no family." Elena was so devastated at this news, they'd seem Bonnie and she hadn't told them! For the first second, Elena felt nothing but rage, but was quickly masked by her anguish. They'd seen her, they'd hugged her, but she hadn't wanted to spoil the moment for them.

"Oh God this can't be real, can you see her Jeremy?" Jeremy shook his head as tears fell down his face.

"No, she really did want to give us the summer before I told you, but you know what I'm pissed off. I'm so happy that I'm alive again, but I sure as hell didn't want her to give her life for me. It's not the way this is supposed to work; for once everything was supposed to work out. Why is it that anytime we get a little happiness there has to be something awful that mutes it? It's not fair, this was supposed be my happy ending too." No one could say anything as they watched him cry; Caroline sat back down next to Elena and put her head in her hands. Soon all but Damon and Stefan were crying.

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**B**uffy listened to what Willow was telling her with astonishment. According to her locator spell, this small town of Mystic Falls was covered with supernaturals. From what Willow was saying, there were at least five of them in one place. She'd known that she was gonna have her work cut out for her in this place, but it was just like being back in Sunnydale. She was very glad that she brought a team with her instead of coming alone. She knew right away that she'd have needed backup. Her only regret right now was that Dawn was with her. She also wished that she hadn't have brought Xander with her either. It was such a tiny little town, even smaller than Sunnydale if that was possible. She had no idea how to go about hunting the supernaturals because according to Willow, there weren't just vampires. She couldn't tell what the other two were only that there could be more than just these five. They parked their car next to a meter that was broken, and all got out. They'd driven for a very long time all the more cranky and in desperate need of food. Driving from California all the way to Virginia may not have been the best idea, but after flying from Rome to California she was sick of airplanes. She brought a small army with her consisting of: Willow, Dawn, Xander, Oz, herself, and one of her newbie slayers, Talia. Now more than ever, she wished she had brought Giles.

**A**fter much stretching and grumbling, the large group made their way to the grill. For an early Friday afternoon, it was surprisingly bustling with activity. It reminded her of the Bronze back in Sunnydale because it was the only fun place in the town. They were quickly seated though, despite the crowd, they seemed to be well accustomed to large groups. After ordering a ridiculous amount of food, Buffy got down to business. There didn't appear to be a hotel in town, so they had been forced to rent out a house. It was odd but it would have to do and it would probably be more comfortable. They still had two hours before they were to meet the owner of the house. Buffy didn't want to be a buzz-kill but they weren't here on vacation. So once the waitress had brought their drinks and gone again, she started handing out assignments. She wanted her human friends to do as little as possible now that she knew the real danger they were all in.

"Okay I don't want any grief about this, but Dawn is strictly on research, don't get mad at me, I just don't want you in harm's way. Xander, you're also only on research but I want you to question the hospital and maybe fish around the sheriff station. Oz, I know you want to go with, but you'll be helping Xander because were nowhere near the full moon. Willow, Talia, and I will do the legwork. I Want to find out what kind of creatures these are. It almost seems as if the town is in on it, and if that's the case were gonna have an even bigger problem on our hands." Dawn, Xander, and Oz all groaned but knew better than to argue.

**O**nce the very large bill was paid, they filed out of the grill and headed for the address of their new temporary home. It was a quaint little house, with a nice view of the town square. A handsome, dark-haired stranger was standing on the porch. Buffy asked for them to stay in the car while she went to complete the purchase. Buffy instantly knew something was off when she approached the stranger. He gave her a cocky smirk as he held out the contract she was supposed to sign. He glanced over at their car, but quickly glanced back to her trying to not be obvious that he was sizing her up. It was also obvious that he wasn't checking out her looks, but that he sensed something with her too. Buffy quickly glanced over the small contract, they'd agreed for a month-long stay. Hopefully it wouldn't take any longer than that to get rid of their little problem. She gave her best smile to the man who had yet to introduce himself.

"Well everything looks in order, it seems like a steal though. How come you're not just selling the house? I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, but it's such a beautiful house in a beautiful town." The guy knew she was fishing because his brow instantly furrowed. He commented on her statement, but glanced back at her car. He smiled at her once more and Buffy got chills by the tone of his voice.

"I should have introduced myself right away, my apologies. Matt Donovan is actually traveling overseas right now and he asked me to handle the transaction. He'll be back before you leave, so he will be collecting the payment then. My name is Damon Salvatore and I will be your resident landlord if you need anything. I'm a good friend of Matt's, so rest assured that you're in good hands. Would you and the rest of your group like a tour of the house? It was originally only a two bedroom, but Matt recently renovated and made the attic a third room." Buffy tried very hard to quell her concerns, so she smiled and waved to everybody else to come in.

"That's okay Mr. Salvatore; I looked at the virtual tour online. I'm just happy that the house was available being that the Inn is no longer open. I promise that we won't be troublesome tenants, were just here to enjoy your small-town life. Am I supposed to sign the lease now? I'm sorry if I'm being rude, it's just we've been on the road for three days and we've driven all the way from California." Damon held up his hands and shrugged, she could tell he was upset she wasn't sure why. He unlocked the front door for her and held the key out.

"No worries, you hold on to that contract and I'll pick it up from you tomorrow. You're not wrong about the small-town life; you'll definitely get that here in Mystic Falls. I hope you enjoy yourselves, just let me know if you need anything. You all have a good night now."

**B**uffy watched as Damon walked away, she knew instinctively that he was one of the markers on Willow's map. The way he looked at her, it was almost as if he knew what she was. She didn't let herself dwell on it right now, however; Willow was gonna have to get on feeling the house right away. She didn't want any unwelcome guests while she was sleeping. Between all of them it only took one trip to bring their things in. Dawn and Talia took the small room on the first floor because it had two beds in it. Buffy and Xander took the bedroom on the second floor, while Willow and Oz took the attic. Buffy noticed Dawn snicker as she held Xander's hand. They had only recently told her that they had become a couple, a fact she mocked them about relentlessly. Once everybody got settled in the room, Buffy helped Willow seal the house. Willow confirmed to her that something was off about Damon, they just couldn't figure out what. After all, it was still daylight and he'd been in direct sunlight. The only vampires she knew could do that, well there wasn't one. Angel had destroyed the ring of Amara, so it was impossible. Once it was done she settled back in her bed uneasily, and tried to forget everything for one night.


	2. Chapter 2: Confrontation

**Chapter 2**

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**D**amon walked into his house and quickly took in the situation. Stefan was nowhere to be seen, Elena and Caroline had taken Jeremy shopping, so for the time being the house was his. Something had been off with Matt's new tenants and he didn't feel like being caught by surprise again. He walked into his bedroom while unbuttoning his pants, only to stop short. Katherine was sprawled out on his bed in nothing but one of his shirts, a typical move of hers. She'd been doing her best to provoke them, but only when Elena wasn't around. It brought him great amusement to watch Katherine flinch every time his girlfriend walked into the room. She sat up as he walked further into the room, and gave him one of her patented sexy smirks. She knew what she was doing, it used to drive him crazy when they'd first been courting, but they'd all made a pact that she was not gonna get her way this time. He stopped undressing and scowled out her; she didn't seem fazed though when he started in on her.

"See, now I have to burn that shirt, not to mention, completely get rid of that bed now. Get out of here Katherine or I won't try and stop Elena the next time she wants to kill you." Katherine pouted at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and standing up.

"Damon, you should let me try and call Elijah. He can help me out of my current predicament and then I wouldn't be a problem for you and Elena." Damon had heard this argument several times before, but it was a stupid idea. Elijah had completely washed his hands of her when he'd followed Klaus to New Orleans. He'd probably hand her over to Klaus so that he could turn that whole damn coven of vampires into his stupid little hybrids. After what happened the last time, he so wasn't gonna let that happen again.

"Katherine, we've been over this, and I'm not sure exactly what you're missing here. Elijah and Klaus are currently in a power struggle with a whole mess of vampires. If you tell him that you're human again, Elijah will just hand you over so that more of Klaus's crony hybrids can be made. Yes, Klaus willingly saved me a few days ago, but that doesn't mean I want tons of his hybrids running around again." He watched her face distort and not for the first time, he thanked the powers that be that he no longer cared for her at all. She stalked to the door, her lips pursed in her anger. She paused over her shoulder to glare at him, unable to leave without the last retort.

"Elijah saved me the first time Damon, I'm sure he would do it again. I know that I used you and you have no reason to think I'm telling the truth now, but I believe Elijah still loves me." Before he could say anything, Elena was there with her hands around Katherine's throat.

"Now Katherine, what did I say about my bedroom and my boyfriend? I know you're hoping that we will turn you back into a vampire, but believe me when I say that I will personally kill you myself before I let that happen. Now, if you know what's good for you, go back to your little cave and don't come out again until I give you permission to."

**K**atherine acted as if she wanted to say something, but thought better of it and stalked down the hall to her room. Damon smiled affectionately at Elena as she slowly walked into their room towards him. When the chaos had passed a few days ago, she'd asked him if they should leave so that it wouldn't be torture for Stefan. Damon knew that it was being mean, but Mystic Falls was his home and he was settled. Now that Jeremy was back from the dead again, they were definitely gonna stay. She slowly walked towards him with a smile on her face; Damon still couldn't believe that she loved him. He was so happy all of the time, he knew it wouldn't last and that something awful would probably happen, but right now he was basking. Yes, unfortunately it was at the expense of his brother, but he'd never be able to walk away from Elena now that he knew how she felt. She stopped in front of him and looped her arms lazily around the back of his neck. They stood that way for several minutes before she leaned forward and kissed him passionately. She threw him a flirty smile before stepping away once more.

"Did Matt's new renters get settled in okay?" Damon groaned and flopped down onto the bed. He didn't want to spoil the moment, but they all needed to be alert now.

"Something was definitely off with them; I'm going to get our good sheriff to do some digging on them. She could tell that I wasn't a normal person and she was…I don't know, she just seemed very powerful." Elena stared at him quizzically and waited for him to expand on his statement. He waved his hand and smiled gently at her before continuing, trying to lighten the moment.

"So… Are you happy? I mean, Klaus is out of our hair for good and you have Jeremy back." Elena's face crumpled at his question and he was instantly there, pulling her into his arms. After several moments she finally looked up and it was obvious that she was fighting for control of her emotions.

"Of course I'm happy that Jeremy is back, Damon, but Bonnie died as a result. He was right, why couldn't there just be a time when everything worked out for us? Why don't we get to have complete happy endings?" Damon held her as she mourned the loss of her best friend; there was nothing he could say to make it better. He spoke into her hair as he rubbed her back.

"You know, part of me wanted Bonnie to leave the veil down. Getting to see Ric again was…incredible. He'd been himself and not the crazy vampire that he'd ended up being. Stefan got to spend a last day with Lexie, and I mean aside from the hunters and the angry sacrifices, it would've been amazing to have my best friend back." Elena looked up at him once more and couldn't hold the smile back despite her tears.

"I see what you're doing there, but yes…it would've been amazing. Look, let's go shower and get some sleep. You can bug Sheriff Forbes tomorrow about our mysterious visitors. Right now, I just want to pretend we're the only two in the universe."

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**E**arly the next morning, Xander and Oz left to do some sniffing around the town. Willow was doing a search on the local map to see exactly where the supernaturals were. Talia was helping Dawn do some slight decorating to make it homier. So far, Talia's little talent was dormant, which Buffy took as a good sign all around. She was very talented as far as the slaying went, otherwise she wouldn't dream of bringing a newbie along. Willow started her mojo and Buffy left her to it. She knew that Willow needed to concentrate and she did not want to distract her. Other than the infestation, Mystic Falls, Virginia was a beautiful place. It really made her nostalgic for home, but that was gone forever and would never come back. When the doorbell sounded, Buffy made herself useful by being the one to answer it. The last thing she needed was the town locals seeing Willow's magic and freaking out. Two blonde women stood on her doorstep, both trying to hide how uncomfortable they were, one was younger and wearing a big smile. The other was older, probably her mother and was wearing a police uniform. The policewoman smiled slightly and held her hand out to Buffy; it was obvious that she didn't want to be there.

"Hi There, I'm Liz Forbes, the town sheriff. This is my daughter Caroline and we just stopped by to welcome you to Mystic Falls." Buffy couldn't believe that the town sheriff made house calls to welcome newcomers; the crime rate must be very low here. She took the older woman's hand and did her best to smile warmly and appear calm.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you, I'm Buffy Summers." The sheriff stepped back and ducked her head, obviously very embarrassed.

"I apologize for the intrusion here; it's just that we don't get too many visitors to our small town." Buffy was surprised that they were doing the strong-armed approach so soon, but she kept her face calm regardless.

"Well, we've been searching for a new home since ours isn't there anymore." The sheriff frowned, but her daughter quickly filled the gap with a surprised gasp. The concern on the younger girl's face was genuine and it slightly confused Buffy. Caroline took a step towards the threshold, her face full of sympathy.

"Oh no, did you lose your house? I'm so sorry, that must've been awful, and I hope you enjoy your stay here." The girl's obvious care put Buffy more at ease with the situation. Buffy shrugged, trying to show that it wasn't as big a deal as she was making it out to be.

"Oh, well in a way we did, yes, we're from Sunnydale California. So it wasn't just us that lost our homes, but everyone." Both Caroline and the sheriff were instantly contrite; it was clear on their faces. The younger girl was stumbling with an apology which gave Buffy a moment to acknowledge Talia's frantic waving beside her. Talia was slightly younger than her, only twenty. She was short for her age and she had a head full of curly red hair. They teased her and called her the raging leprechaun because of how busy she could be. Buffy watched as Talia anxiously looks towards the door and mouthed two words and it was enough for her to take it seriously. Buffy turned back to look at the two women and cut them off with a harsh laugh.

"Okay so it looks like the two of you know who I am because I'm sure the sheriff doesn't make house calls for every passerby that crosses the town limits. What I am surprised about is that you're helping them, Sheriff Forbes, and as for you Caroline, I don't know why you're here, but you can't get in. I'll figure out why you and your friends can walk in the sun and rest assured that I will take care of it. Now, unless you want me to stake you right here…I'd leave." The look on Caroline's face was priceless, but the sheriff looked pissed off as she stepped forward.

"Listen, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I'm sick of you damn hunters. You barge into my town and try to kill people just because they're vampires." Buffy was about to reply when a blur surged forward only to slam into the threshold and go flying backwards. Damon Salvatore stood up with a scowl and walked back to the door slower than before.

"How did you seal this house when you don't own it?" Buffy smiled darkly at the three people gathered on her new porch. Willow walked slowly to the door and joined Buffy with a smile on her face.

"Why, so this is a nice surprise, we usually have to hunt you guys down so it's so thoughtful of you to come here and save us the trouble." Damon swore under his breath and sneered at them as he took several steps backwards.

"I've always hated witches; they only get in the way and mess things up. What do you guys want anyway? You're not one of the five because we dispatched of them easily enough, so will you tell me why you're hunting us? Just because we're vampires does not mean we're evil, I mean that's ridiculous. We still feel emotions, we love, have friends, and hurt just like you, so will you please explain to me why you people keep trying to kill me and my family?" Buffy raised an eyebrow as she surveyed all of them in front of her and suppress the urge to laugh.

"So you mean to tell me that you've all got your souls still? If that was the case, I wouldn't have been called here in the first place. So many deaths have happened here and the claims have said animal attack for the most part. There are campers going missing, burning and exploding buildings everywhere, now does that sound like a fluffy en-souled vampire to you? Look, I'm the slayer and this is what I do. It's nothing personal really; it's just my duty to protect the innocent from monsters like you. The three of you definitely came knocking on the wrong door this morning. The humans who are helping you will be dealt with as well, because that won't be tolerated. Once I'm done with the town's little infestation, I'm coming after you sheriff, so you might want to start looking for a replacement." Caroline hissed at her as her face began to transform. Buffy actually jumped slightly when she surged towards the door only to be held at bay by the barrier. Her eyes were bloodshot and the veins on her face were bulging, it was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Damon placed a calming hand on her shoulder, but Caroline would not be quelled. She stood up straight out of her crouch, and regarded Buffy with a cold stare as she addressed her.

"Come out here and say that! How dare you come into my town and threaten my mother! You can't take us all on, that's why you're cowering behind your barrier." Buffy did her best to hide her shock at the sight of the girls face; she didn't look like any vampire she'd ever seen before. However, she did not take being threatened lightly, so with a glance over her shoulder…she stepped outside.


	3. Chapter 3:The Plan

_A/N:This chapter is slightly shorter than I anticipated, but it ended in the right place. Chapter 4 will be up tomorrow, please R&R_

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**Chapter 3**

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**B**uffy immediately reached for Caroline and threw her off the porch with little effort. So that she couldn't interfere, Willow spelled the Sheriff into a bubble so that she wouldn't get hurt. Buffy, Talia, and Willow flanked the two vampires as they stared each other down. Buffy was unsure of how to proceed because Caroline seemed genuinely scared of her. Damon was just giving her a hateful look, obviously pissed off. There were people gathering behind them in the town square and Buffy just couldn't let them see her abilities. Giles hadn't warned them about any of this, which was unfortunate because she didn't know where to go from here. She glanced to Willow, who sighed and muttered a few words under her breath. The sheriff flew down the steps and jumped in front of Buffy with an angry glare that would melt metal under any other circumstance. Buffy knew that she was afraid for her daughter, but she didn't seem to care that she was a vampire. Liz Forbes stood her ground as she held Buffy's gaze.

"You get the hell out of my town right now or I'll arrest you for assault. I assure you that the vampires are not a problem in this town or I'd kill them myself." Buffy tilted her head and almost groaned out loud. She'd never seen a town that embraced demons the way this one did. Now Buffy understood a valiant vampire, but there was no way that all of them in this town had gotten their souls back. Buffy crossed her arms as she stared at the trio before her.

"I'm not going anywhere and I'd like to see you try to cuff me, I'll just break through them. Okay kids, in case you haven't guessed it, I'm not your average vampire hunter. I'm the vampire slayer…look it up. Now I'd rather not have this little showdown in broad daylight and in full view of your entire town. So, I'm going to go back inside and get ready for tonight, because when the sun goes down is when the fun will start. Oh and sheriff, just in case you feel Froggy and tell your deputies to come after me, don't…that is if you value your deputies." Buffy turned her back on them to prove her confidence and headed back to the porch. She stayed on there until the three of them had disappeared around the corner. Literally two minutes later, Xander and Oz stepped around from the side of the house with wide eyes. Xander grabbed Buffy's hand and steered her into the living room.

"Wow so that was completely crazy, the Sheriff was trying to save them?" Buffy kissed him lightly before pulling her cell phone out. Seeing the differences in these vampires compared to the one she'd fought her entire life, shook her to her very core.

"Did you see them, Xander that was insane? They can walk in the sun and they still look mostly human when they vamp out. I have to talk to Giles because looking at that high school vampire crying in fear seriously freaked me out." Willow pulled out of her laptop and motioned to Dawn to come towards her.

"I'll start researching with Dawn and Talia to see what we can find out. Oz can you call Angel and see if he's heard of this before?" Oz pulled his cell phone out and started dialing almost immediately. Giles answered after the third ring and now that she had him, she wasn't sure where to start. Giles sounded concerned as he greeted her on the phone.

"Buffy, you've only been there a day, is everything all right?" Buffy didn't say anything at first because she was still reeling from the confrontation. When she did speak her confidence was low and her voice shook in her uncertainty.

"Giles, we have a major situation and we're at a loss for what to do. I think you need to bring some more girls and get here as quick as possible. I'd bring faith and leave either Vi or Kennedy in charge…bring the other with you too. Come straight to the address I gave you; don't stop anywhere once you hit Mystic Falls. The vampires are here and they're different, I've never seen anything like it before. The town officials seem to be protecting them for some reason, it's almost as if they're afraid of them or they still think they're the people they were before. The human Sheriff's daughter is a vampire…I need you here." Giles listened without interrupting her once, which was unusual for him. When she stopped speaking, he spoke decisively as if he was already making plans.

"Very well, I'll bring Kennedy if Willow is all right with that because I do not want her in charge of the girls. I'll bring Rona, faith, and Daphne as well, will that be sufficient force?" Buffy breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't gonna argue with her for once.

"Thanks Giles that will be great, just bring lots of gear with you when you come. They knew we were here, they could sense it. Oz is speaking with Angel right now, so maybe he or Spike knows something about this." After hanging up with Giles, Buffy turned to Oz as he was hanging up with Angel. He walked over to her, his eyes wide with shock from the news he'd just been delivered.

"Angel, Spike, and Gunn are going to start heading this way. They've never heard of a different type of vampire and they're curious. Buffy, there's something you and Willow should know that Angel just told me." Willow stopped her magical Internet search at this and walked into the living room to stand next to him. When he was aware he had the floor, he started his story a little shell-shocked.

"Apparently Los Angeles is now a war zone because Angel took on the senior partners…and lost. There have been several developments within his crew and it's slightly freaksome. Cordelia passed away in her sleep while she was in a coma, she never woke up. Gunn has been turned into a vampire because he was going to die otherwise. Willow, Angel wants you to ensoul him because they've got him locked in a cage right now. Fred is dead; the demon Illyria took over her body and sufficiently snuffed out her life force. That's not the worst one though, apparently Wes is dead."

* * *

**D**amon and Caroline slammed back into his house, causing Jeremy to jerk awake on the sofa. He looked up as they both headed for the liquor bottles and wanted to groan. They never got a moments peace for anything. There was always something that kept them from enjoying themselves, something that always tried to kill them. Elena walked into the room, freshly showered, and walked straight for them. Stefan cautiously entered the room as well, but he didn't seem eager to join in. Jeremy felt slightly sorry for the guy, he was madly in love with Elena and here she was with his brother. Something was up with Stefan anyway and Jeremy wanted to know what. This went beyond the grief that Elena had chosen Damon over him, this was something else entirely. Since Jeremy had returned and moved in, Stefan had stay completely away from them. It was strange because he and Stefan had been friends for the most part and now he wouldn't even look at him. They all eventually walked over and sat down to begin the discussion. Elena sat down in Damon's lap and looped her arms around his neck. It was strange seeing them together, but she was happier than he'd seen her in a long time and that was all that mattered. Caroline was pacing back and forth in the living room, completely distraught. She finally stopped long enough to address the entire room and the look on her face more than worried Jeremy.

"She was so freaking strong, she was like Klaus strong, how is that possible? She said that she was the slayer, what the hell is that nonsense?" Damon scowled in disgust and balled his free hand into a fist. Jeremy must have missed something important because all of them were uptight. Damon shook his head and paused briefly before he answered her.

"I've never heard of the slayer, the sound of it is ridiculous. What the hell did she mean by saying we didn't have a soul? Caroline, I hate to suggest it, especially with Tyler on his way back, but you should call Klaus. Elena can call Elijah and see what he knows and I'll call Rebecca." Jeremy sat forward with a frown; he was so not following the conversation.

"What are you guys talking about exactly? I'm completely lost so please fill me in." They all looked at him in surprise; almost as if they'd forgotten he was there. Caroline was the one to finally sit down next to him on the couch and explain.

"The people renting Matt's house are vampire hunters. It was a girl, she like knew we weren't human and said she was coming for us after nightfall. You should see if she has the hunters Mark, which would give us a starting point at least." They all looked at him with renewed interest and it almost made him laugh out loud.

"I'm not sure I'd be able to see the mark anymore, after all it disappeared when Bonnie opened the passageway to Silas. The mark on me is gone and my head feels normal so I'm assuming that stupid hunter's nonsense is done." Damon actually smiled at him, which proved how happy he truly was.

"If your mark is completely gone, than that's definitely a good sign. Still, it can't hurt to see if she has one and if you can see it. However, I fought Connor and Vaughn, but this was different completely. Yes, they were strong but this girl actually picked Caroline up as if she weighed nothing and threw her. Her power was crazy and I'm all for staying the hell away from her." Jeremy nodded and glanced at Elena before making his suggestion.

"If you think it'd help, I can try to befriend them and see if I can find anything out." Elena sat up in Damon's lap and gave him a worried frown but she didn't dismiss the idea. Jeremy could see the wheels spinning in her head as she mulled the idea over. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders and laid her head on Damon's arm.

"It should be okay, you're human so I don't think she'd try to hurt you. If she's that different than the other hunters, it couldn't hurt to try. But Jeremy, I just got you back so please promise that you'll be careful." Jeremy stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets as he surveyed the four vampires.

"I promise I'll be okay, but I think for the time being, I need to go stay in the Lockwood mansion. I don't want to be that far away from you since I just got back, but if I'm gonna befriend them I can't live here. At least until I bring them over and make them realize you guys are safe." Elena instantly popped up out of Damon's embrace. She stood in front of her brother with a frown, tears once more threatening to spill.

"I don't know if I am okay with that, Jer, I mean you've only been back for three days. I understand why you want to do that, to keep us safe, but why do they need to know where you live?" Jeremy reached for Elena's hands and started pulling her towards the front door.

"Elena let's go for a walk, we need to discuss a few things."


	4. Chapter 4:Best Laid Plans

_A/N: I'm having so much fun writing this, I hope everyone is enjoying it! There will be action soon, I promise. Please R&R :) Thanks to the reviews so far, glad you're liking it so far_

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**T**hat evening, Caroline, Stefan, and Damon went to the town square to keep this slayer away from the house. Jeremy had called Matt back and he'd officially moved into the Lockwood mansion. Elena was alone and it was difficult not to let herself think about recent events. Jeremy had taken her on a long walk away from the house in order to get some privacy. He told her that he had suspicions about Stefan, but he wouldn't tell her what they were. It was almost as if she was human again as they kept pushing her to the side, trying to protect her. She didn't want Jeremy coming back into the fray because he'd only been back a few days. There was never a time to celebrate life or be happy about anything. Making up her mind, knowing it would infuriate everyone, she decided to take a leap. She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door hoping for the best. She listened to make sure that no one was standing guard, but she was truly alone aside from Katherine in her room. She didn't want to risk being noticed so she ran to the house that she'd spent so much time at as a kid. When she rounded the corner of Matt's house, she could see Damon and Caroline sitting on a bench in the town square. Luckily for her, they were talking with each other and their back was to her. She steeled her nerves and knocked as softly as possible and waited anxiously for someone to answer the door. She was surprised when a young brunette greeted her, she'd expected someone older. The girl standing in front of her couldn't be much younger than she was. Elena glanced over her shoulder quickly to make sure she wasn't being noticed, but when she turned back, the young girl was smiling at her.

"Hi, I recognize you; you're in a lot of the pictures in here. The owner must be your boyfriend, am I right? I'm Dawn Summers by the way; can I help you with something?" Elena smiled at the pleasant girl in front of her; she wasn't at all the way Damon and Caroline painted her to be.

"I'm Elena Gilbert and no, Matt and I haven't dated for ages, we're just best friends." Dawn nodded and stepped away from the door, Elena couldn't believe her luck. The other girl held the door open wider and motioned for her to come in. Elena knew that this was a small test but she was quick on her feet.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to come in? I don't want to get you in trouble with your mom or anything." Dawn visibly relaxed at her words and nodded which was sufficient for Elena to enter the house. When she shut the door she smiled even wider as they walked down the familiar hallway. The younger girl chatted pleasantly while they went to the living room.

"My mom passed away a couple of years ago, so it's just me and my sister, Buffy." Elena felt a rush of emotions at the girl's words. Ever since she turned her humanity back on, it was as if she was a newbie vampire all over again. Everything was heightened to the point of being painful. Elena nodded her sympathy to the other girl; she knew exactly how hard it was to lose a parent.

"Oh I'm so sorry; I lost my parents almost two years back as well so I completely understand." Dawn looked at her for a long time before she responded to her and then what she said completely shocked her.

"Yeah you're a vampire, aren't you?" Elena started in surprise at her words, how is it possible that she knew that?

"How…wait if you knew what I was then why did you invite me in?" Dawn just shrugged her shoulders as she regarded her with caution, trying to appear nonchalant.

"It was basically a combination of things, you look so nervous when I opened the door and then when you look behind you your eyes did that weird red thing. Don't worry; Buffy's not here so it's just the two of us. Why don't you tell me why you're so that we can get past this awkward stage we just stumbled upon?" Elena found herself warming to the other girl; she was easy-going which was very helpful. She glanced towards the door in a nervous way and frowned.

"Is this room spelled or something? I can't hear anything that's going on outside." Dawn raised an eyebrow at her with a small smile on her face.

"You're very good; yes we spelled the whole house so that your friends can't hear us. Now, back to the vampire in the room, okay that was cheesy. You came here for a purpose and it's lucky you got me tonight instead of anyone else in the house. I'm willing to listen to you, but know, I can kill you if I have to. So would you like to sit down?" Elena had the urge to flee, but Dawn was right after all…she had come for a reason.

"Yeah we can sit down; it might alleviate some of the awkwardness at least." They moved to Matt's couch and Elena suddenly had tears in her eyes as she thought of how many times she'd sat there with Matt. Elena jumped right in because she didn't want linger on her thoughts any longer.

"I'm sorry if I seem off, my emotions are a little all over the place right now. Look, Mystic Falls is different from other places. It's like a supernatural hub or something and unfortunately, it's resulted in a lot of deaths. Damon and Caroline are harmless; they're only in the square because they didn't want your sister coming to our house. Caroline hasn't fed from a human since the first week she turned; she's the epitome of self-control. Damon…well he feeds from people sometimes, but he doesn't kill them anymore. I realize how bad that sounds but trust me when I say he's not gonna harm anybody. We're not bad people and we don't want to hurt anybody at all. We mostly feed from blood bags because it keeps us healthy. A lot of terrible things happened in the last several months and I just came to plead my case." Dawn frowned the whole time she spoke, almost as if she was unsure of what to believe. When Elena was finished talking Dawn shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"You seem different from the other vampires I've interacted with and believe me it's been a few. You seem so sad and I want to believe what you're saying, but I just don't know. We have a very powerful coven of witches in England who told us a terrible evil is brewing here. The way I figure it, it's not you guys because you guys have been here very long time. The question is though…what is it that has probably the most powerful people on the planet scared to death?" Elena was starting to like this girl; she was smart and not a pushover.

"If you don't think we are the people you're looking for, why did your sister threaten my friends seconds after you got here? Caroline was genuinely just welcoming you guys here because she's such a social butterfly. It's who she was before she turned and it's gonna be how she is now for the end of time." Dawn ducked her head with a sheepish smile fighting laughter.

"Well Buffy is really a 'kill vampires first, ask questions second' kind of person if you know what I mean." Elena couldn't help but smile in return before she responded. It was nice to have someone nice to talk to that wasn't afraid of her.

"Damon used to be that way about people who threatened us. It shows that he's grown since he didn't try to pick a fight with Buffy…or it shows that he's scared of her." They laughed together for a few seconds before dawn grew serious again.

"Okay I have to ask, because you seem so genuine, but how did you get wrangled into all of this?" Elena's smile disappeared at the questions and she looked at her hands trying to avoid eye contact.

"It was an accumulation of problems or I guess just really awful situations. Believe me when I say that this was not my choice, I'd rather have died than to be this monster." Before dawn can answer, a redhead descended the steps, followed by a short blonde girl. Elena popped up, ready to flee, but the blonde held up a hand to stop her.

"Relax, I'm not gonna kill you, I just want some answers and eavesdropping was seriously annoying. So, you seem to be like a normal girl who still has her soul but how is that possible?" Elena didn't understand what she meant about her soul. She was still hurt, so why wouldn't she have her soul? She glanced between the three of them and wasn't sure what they were looking for.

"I don't understand what you're asking, why wouldn't I have my soul?" The redhead smiled gently and raised her hand slightly as if asking a question in school.

"I'm Willow by the way, usually when a person turns into a vampire, their soul goes into the ether and a demon sets up shop in your body. I did a spell to check and it said you definitely had your soul. Do you know a witch or something that gave it back to you?" Elena immediately thought of Bonnie and tears spilled over and down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away as she answered the question, not wanting to show anymore abilities to these people.

"Sorry, like I told Dawn, my emotions are crazy right now. I did know a witch, she was my best friend. She…she died a few days ago during the craziness that had ensued. You know even though she was a witch, she didn't give me my soul because that's not how works for vampires. Maybe you were fighting something else, but we're not like that." Buffy huffed, obviously frustrated with what she was hearing.

"No, I've been fighting vampires since I was fifteen years old, so why the hell are you guys different? I need you to tell me how you turned, because none of this makes any sense at all." Elena shifted in her seat, more than ever she wished that Damon was sitting next to her. She knew it was weird but he brought her a sense of calm that she seriously needed at that moment.

"Well vampire blood heals humans of pretty much everything. However, if you die with vampire blood in your system, you'll come back. You can either feed to finish the transition…or you just die for good." The three of them stared at her for a full sixty seconds before dawn spoke softly in question.

"So, you died and then came back? How long have you been a vampire?" Elena hadn't expected the compassion that Dawn was showing. Damon and Caroline had made her think that these people were cold blooded killers, but they were just normal people like her.

"I only turned a couple of months ago, like I said earlier, it's been a bad few months." Willow looked as if she wanted to cry with her, they were really surprising her with their reactions.

"Oh wow that's so awful, I'm so sorry. You do realize that we have about a million more questions though right? Do you care to stay for a while and talk with us some more?"

* * *

**D**amon had never been angrier with Elena than he was at that specific moment. Caroline had been talking his ear off about the conversation she'd had with Klaus and he hadn't heard Elena at the door right away. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't blame Caroline for his mishap. He'd wanted to know what Klaus had said and he'd let his guard down. Elena had entered the house before he could stop her and frankly he was terrified. They'd been waiting for over two hours and she'd yet to leave the house. The witch must have spelled the house because they didn't hear a thing going on inside. Damon had finally broke down and called Jeremy even though he knew how he'd react. Caroline was a nervous wreck thinking that Elena was as good as dead, which wasn't helping his nerves either. After twenty minutes of waiting, Jeremy came stomping up to Damon and punched him right in the face. The strength took him by surprise, but he ignored it for the moment. He gave Jeremy an exasperated look as he stood back up on his feet and motioned towards the house.

"Look, don't waste time being pissed off at me, you're human so you can get in there…so go and be of use."


	5. Chapter 5:Reunion

_A/N: Here is a nice, long chapter for you :) I'm having a lot of fun writing this...feedback would be awesome._

**Chapter 5**

* * *

**B**uffy was at loss for words as Elena explained her story. Hearing about everyone she'd lost made her life feel like a picnic. At least her brother was back, it was too bad that Alaric couldn't be brought back as well. Everything about the original sounded ominous and Buffy dreaded running into them. Also, Xander, and Talia had come out of hiding after the first twenty minutes, and were currently sitting in the floor listening as well. Buffy couldn't wait until Giles arrived, he was gonna have an absolute field day with all of the new information. To think, she'd been in Sunnydale fighting the hellmouth vamps and there was a whole different breed because of some witch. Hearing how they could switch the humanity off and on was reminiscent of Angelus, only theirs was a voluntary switch. Though, she had to admit that if she'd lost two sets of parents, two guardians, and her sister…yes she'd have probably had a similar reaction. She was about to ask another question when her front door suddenly burst open with crazy force. A young boy stood in the doorway with a fierce expression, clearly furious. He held Buffy's gaze steadily, which impressed her, but she wasn't gonna tolerate threats. The boy walked forward and stared at her and her friends before speaking in a surprisingly commanding way.

"Where the hell is my sister?" Buffy didn't know why she was surprised, but she just didn't expect the young vampire's brother to be a threat. Luckily, she didn't have to say anything because Elena was instantly at Jeremy's side. She touched his arm and gave him a half of a smile.

"Jeremy, I'm okay, you didn't need to show up here and break their door down." Jeremy gave her an incredulous look that was almost comical and it took a lot for Buffy to keep from laughing out loud. The boy threw his hands up dramatically and turned to face his sister fully as he addressed her.

"Oh great, you're fine, meanwhile I get a phone call from Damon who said you'd disappeared into this house two hours ago. What the hell Elena, you knew that we didn't want you in danger again." Elena gritted her teeth and Buffy can tell that a good old-fashioned sibling fight was about to break out. Elena removed her hand from her brother's arm, almost as if she was afraid of hurting him before responding to his condescending remark.

"Jeremy you are the fragile one here, not me, okay? Yes you still have your Hunter strength, but if you get shot, stabbed, ran over or whatever…you'd die! Did you honestly think that I would let you put yourself in danger again after what I went through the first time? No Jeremy, I don't think so! You get to be a teenager, finish your last year of high school, and go to college somewhere far away from here." Jeremy didn't take that explanation well as his face contorted with a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Oh and you think that I would be okay if something happened to you?! You're not human anymore, they could've killed you! Don't forget that I watched what you went through Elena; I was right beside you the whole time even though you couldn't see me. It was safer for me to approach them first, but you're too stubborn to see that!" They stared at each other for a solid minute before Jeremy pulled her into a bear hug and spoke into her hair.

"Just don't risk your life to save mine, Elena. I couldn't manage without you any better than you managed without me." Buffy watched the two of them with tears in her eyes, she knew exactly how they felt because she'd felt that for Dawn when Willow had suggested she be the one to answer the door. Talia had known that Elena was outside and thought it would be better if Dawn received her. Unable to remain silent anymore, Buffy stood up and motioned to the door.

"You could've knocked you know, we were gonna hurt her. Seeing your blonde friend's reaction yesterday stirred something, I don't like picking on defenseless people, vampire or no. I don't know why you guys are different than the others, but we will research it. However I am wondering if this Silas guy is reason why we're here." Elena looked at her with a frown when she made this statement, she did not want to face Silas again.

"Bonnie turned him to stone; Damon witnessed it so it couldn't be him, right?" Buffy shrugged her shoulders, having no more answers than they did.

"Look, I get that you're okay now and reformed, but that doesn't mean that I want every vampire invited into my temporary house. How about we meet in the town square tomorrow and we'll pick a place to go and discuss everything once the rest of my crew gets here." They agreed on a time to meet the next day and the Gilberts took their leave. When Buffy turned around, she found Dawn staring at his back, her cheeks were very pink. It was all Buffy could do to keep from laughing loudly. At least this guy was a vampire Hunter and not an actual vampire like her last crush. Buffy smiled mischievously at her sister and elbowed Willow conspiratorially.

"So Jeremy was kind of buff, Willow, don't you think?" Willow fought to keep her composure, especially in front of Oz and Xander.

**A**fter they stop teasing Dawn mercilessly about Jeremy, Willow excused herself so that she could go change clothes. When she came back out, she found Buffy in the kitchen because she wanted to finish their conversation. Willow was worried about what they were expected to face if it wasn't this new breed of vampire. Sure, they'd beaten the First, but that hadn't been a walk in the park. They were now using aliases because the government had decided that their little group was a threat. Riley had contacted them and warned them to stay under the radar. Xander had been able to securely get new identifications for all of them, but Buffy wasn't being very careful. Willow was doing what she could magically to keep them off their track, but Buffy wasn't one for the subtle route. Having to come back to the states had given her tummy rumblings, but she knew that they couldn't not help. Willow could tell that Buffy was worried as she scrounged for something to snack on, it was obvious. If Buffy was nervous to the point of not hiding it, then Willow was triple the amount worried. At least she'd conquered her fear of spells, because it seemed like they were seriously gonna need it in this town. Still, Willow was trying not to freak out about what was going on. She sat at the small kitchen table and propped her head on her hand as she addressed Buffy's back.

"So, meeting with Damon again should be interesting. He seems scarier than your average vampire." Buffy stopped what she was doing and turned to face her, her face gave nothing away. She gave a half shrug and plopped down in the chair across from her before responding.

"They all do, even Elena, though you can tell she doesn't want to hurt people. Something was off about her though, she was crazy emotional." Willow laughed and sat up in her chair to answer her.

"Come on Buffy, her birth and adoptive parents died right front of her. She died to save her friend, only to be turned into a vampire because of an over helpful doctor. Her brother died, leaving her all alone and causing her to go crazy. Sure, her brother is back but it killed her best friend in the process. The veil dropped and she was able to see her recently deceased protector that had died…yeah she has a reason to be a wreck." Buffy's mouth dropped open, obviously at a loss for words for a moment.

"You understood that veil nonsense?" Willow frowned at her tone; it wasn't like her to be so insensitive.

"Totally, some witch created a purgatory for supernatural creatures, so they're stuck there…it's so not fair. Think of it this way Buffy, if you died in this town, you'd be stuck there. There would be no passing on to a heaven dimension like before; you'd just be incorporeal so no one could see you forever." Buffy leaned forward with a dark look on her face, something Willow had never seen on her best friend's face before.

"Well well well, look decided to pay attention. Do you think you could drop the veil like Bonnie did? You feel so bad for Elena; just think about it, you could bring Alaric back for her." Willow had alarms flashing in her head at the way Buffy was acting.

"Okay, what have you done with Buffy? Did you think you could fool me, whoever you are? Buffy is my best friend on the planet and I'm ten times more powerful than Bonnie was. You can't manipulate me and I can force you to show your true form." Buffy smile disappeared as she stood up from the table, she looked slightly impressed.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, little Willow. You are powerful, I'll give you that, but you didn't know Bonnie. You may even want to help me when I tell you everything." This was too reminiscent of the first evil, so Willow concentrated and began focusing all her energy on banishing whatever this was. The nasty smear on Buffy's face faltered slightly when she realized that Willow could do it.

"Well, you are more powerful than I gave you credit for, but you're not as powerful as me. I'll leave you for now but believe me when I say that we'll talk again." The kitchen was instantly empty and Willow's only thought was to find Buffy.

* * *

**J**eremy led Elena across the street and into the town square where Caroline and Damon were waiting. Elena knew that Damon was gonna be furious with her, but she had more pressing matters to discuss. She stopped in her tracks and faced her brother. Of course nothing could come without a price, so she couldn't be fully happy ever, it seemed. She knew without a doubt that Jeremy being back came with a price, but at least he was alive. She stared at him for a moment, wanting to remember everything good about their relationship. They hadn't always gotten along like they were now, especially when Vicki died. For just a small moment, Elena wanted to go back to that day, and change things. Maybe if she had been upfront with Jeremy from the beginning, things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand in their lives. She couldn't dwell on that right now, they couldn't change the past. She took his hand and it took all of her strength not to cry in front of him.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth, Jeremy?" He raised an eyebrow as if he wasn't sure what she was talking about.

"Tell you what Elena, what's the matter?" Elena pushed his sleeve up on his arm and held that there, willing herself to be able to see it.

"The hunters mark is still there isn't it? You moved into the Lockwood mansion to get away from us vampires so that you wouldn't try to kill us, am I my right?" Jeremy's face immediately softened and he pulled her into a bear hug, he'd really missed his sister.

"Elena no, that's not why I moved out and you know it. I was going to befriend them, but they now know who I am, and if you want me to, I'll move back in tonight. It'll be better than being in that monstrous house by myself anyway." Elena returned the hug, but she knew from experience not to get her hopes up.

"Jeremy, you broke the door completely off the hinges, you don't have to lie to me. If you didn't still have the hunters mark, then how do you explain that?" Jeremy actually laughed as he pulled away from her and looked towards the town square.

"Elena, I'm not lying to you, I promise. The Mark is gone because Bonnie took care of Silas. When he woke up, the Mark disappeared from all of us and we were no longer needed. The strength is still there, which is awesome, but I've got a clear head." Elena paused as she studied his face to make sure he was being honest with her. When she saw none of his telltale signs, she beamed beautifully at him.

"Well then yes, please come back to the house. I'll technically have custody of you until you turn eighteen anyway." Jeremy was about to respond when she was pulled out of his hug and brought face-to-face with a furious blonde. Elena stared at Caroline, surprised it was her and not Damon doing the confronting.

"Elena, how could you put me through that?! After what happened to Bonnie, you still just walk into that house without telling anyone where you're going!" Elena hadn't thought about it from that perspective and she quickly pulled Caroline into a hug as well.

"Car, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking at all. The only thing I wanted was to keep Jeremy away from here." Caroline pulled out of her embrace; tears were falling down her cheeks.

"So what, you thought about it and said 'better me than him?' You can't just do things like that, alright? I can't lose any more friends, I just can't, especially not you. Jeremy, that goes for you too, so don't go barging into the mix just because Damon says so!" She was absolutely inconsolable and Elena was at a loss for what to say to her. Damon was absolutely nowhere to be seen, which is not a good sign. A sound behind them made them turn around, afraid of what was lurking. Tyler was standing behind them with his duffel bag.

"Come on, I'm back for five minutes and someone already almost died?" Caroline screeched and launched herself into his arms, elated. He dropped his bag and willingly caught her. He kissed her passionately and twirled her around before setting her back on her feet and staring at the Gilberts.

"Jeremy, wow I must have missed the memo where you were concerned. I'm glad you're back and all, you know, alive." Jeremy moved forward and grabbed Tyler's free hand, shaking it enthusiastically.

"Believe me, Tyler; it's good to be back. Being on the other side of the veil sucked big time." Tyler shifted his eyes back to Elena; his stare was not as welcoming as it had been with Jeremy.

"I see you're not crazy anymore, I guess it was a good thing that I wasn't here for that, because I'd of killed you." Elena jerked back as if he'd slapped her across the face. Caroline jerked away from him and smacked his arm roughly, outraged at his words.

"Tyler you weren't here, you have no idea what all of us went through, especially Elena!" He scoffed and shook his head in disgust at what he was hearing.

"Car, she almost killed you and it took Matt literally dying before she turned her emotions back on! From what Matt told me, she did a lot of damage and you're just letting her get away like she didn't do anything wrong! If Stefan hadn't stopped her, she would've staked you! Yeah I had a nice long conversation with Stefan." Caroline frowned at her boyfriend, unhappy that he was ruining their happy homecoming.

"Tyler, she wasn't Elena when all of that happened. Damon told her to turn her emotions off when Jeremy died and because of the sire bond, she did it. Don't come here after months of being gone and judge situations you weren't part of. I've forgiven Elena for what happened, because it wasn't her so you should forgive her to." Damon was suddenly standing in front of Elena and in between her and Tyler. His eyes were wild as he addressed the younger boy in front of him.

"You should listen to your girlfriend, Tyler; you don't want to piss me off today. Elena unfortunately remembers everything she did during that time and she still struggling with it, even though she doesn't want to admit it. She didn't have anyone and she was going to do something extreme so I told her to turn her emotions off. Caroline is fine, Stefan and I were there the whole time." Tyler shook his head and picked up his bag, clearly done with the conversation.

"Whatever she needs to hear to sleep at night, right? She told you from the beginning that she didn't want to be a vampire, but look at her." Damon moved forward and Elena had to place her hand on his arm to get them to stop. She couldn't, however, stop him from speaking his peace.

"Elena had the cure Tyler, if she wanted to be a human again, she would be. Instead, she did us all a favor and shoved it down Katherine's throat. So, stop being a dick because you weren't here when all of this stuff happened. You're here now, Caroline's fine, Jeremy is back and we can all just move on. We're doing Bonnie's service tomorrow, so go home and celebrate with your girlfriend…she missed you." Tyler started to move forward when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and look at Damon once more.

"Wait, what you mean were doing Bonnie's service tomorrow, what happened to Bonnie?!"


	6. Chapter 6: Showtime

_A/N: __ I've already got chapter 7 written, I just have to review it and edit any errors. Thanks to everyone for reviewing, I'm glad you're liking it so far!_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**E**lena rode in silence in the backseat of Damon's car. They'd stopped at Tyler's house so that Jeremy could get his stuff before returning to the house. Damon wasn't speaking to her and she was lost in her own thoughts anyway. She was more than a little surprised by Tyler's outburst towards her earlier. Sure, they'd never been best friends or even good friends, but she hadn't expected that kind of backlash. Damon sighed and brought her back from her thoughts. She met his eyes in the rearview mirror and he instantly looked away, obviously still mad. The set of his shoulders told her exactly how angry he truly was. When they got back to the Salvatore mansion, Damon went inside without a backward glance towards anyone. Jeremy walked with Elena to the front porch and paused before they opened the door. He looked at her like he was on the verge of laughing, but he refrained from doing so. He placed a hand on her arm obviously trying to reassure her.

"Don't worry about Damon Elena; he's just upset that you went into the house without telling anyone." Elena nodded and followed him into the house silently. Damon wasn't in the front room, meaning that he'd gone on to bed without her. She poured herself a scotch and sat down in the living room, wanting to give herself a moment. She'd been there for almost 10 minutes when Stefan walked into the room and poured him a drink. He glanced over at her with a smirk, very unlike himself.

"So, we're meeting the so-called slayer in the square tonight?" Elena knew what Jeremy was saying now. Stefan was acting very strange and she had a feeling it had something to do with her and Damon.

"Yes, apparently she's got more people coming to meet her first though. Stefan…are you okay?" He paused before he took his first drink and shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

"You mean now that you're sleeping in my brother's bed instead of mine and that I'm still here? Don't worry about me Elena, our romance was doomed to fail from the beginning anyway. I only started dating you because you looked like Katherine and I missed her. I know that's not what you want to hear and I denied it in the beginning, but it was true. Sure, you were fun and I do not like being dumped, but I'm not pining for you. As soon as we deal with whatever this is, I'm out of Mystic Falls forever." He walked out of the living room without another word, leaving Elena stunned and hurt. Almost immediately though, Katherine was standing in front of her in the spot he just vacated with a scowl on her face.

"Look at you little Elena, I knew that you would be their downfall. When I first got here, I warned them about you, but they didn't believe me. You broke Stefan's heart Elena; he's an absolute mess now, and thanks to you he and Damon hate each other once more. You strung them both along for months and now both of them are suffering for it." Elena popped up off the couch and walked closer to Katherine, intent on doing her harm, but something struck her. Something was off with Katherine, something was missing.

"Who the hell are you, because you sure as hell aren't Katherine?" Katherine frowned and rolled her eyes before crossing her arms in an agitated manner before replying.

"What are you talking about Elena?" Elena suddenly got a very bad feeling about the situation, but she didn't want to tip her hand just yet.

"Listen Katherine go away, you do remember that Damon gave me permission to kill you, right?" Without waiting for a response, Elena flew upstairs to the bedroom she'd been sharing with Damon. He wasn't in the main room so she checked the bathroom with no luck. Resigned, she grabbed clothes, her pillow, and a blanket before leaving in search of an empty room. He was avoiding her, so should make it easier for him so he wouldn't be uncomfortable. She picked the last room in the hall and then went in search of her brother. She found Jeremy on the other side of the hall, the house was huge. He looked up when she entered the room and patted the bed next to him.

"What's up, you look like you're gonna lose it." She folded her legs underneath her and sat next to Jeremy on the bed.

"Damon is seriously avoiding me, so I moved into a room down the hall from you. Jer…I really miss Alaric, he was really good at giving me advice." Jeremy chuckled quietly to himself as he looked to the left of the room.

"Yeah, so do I, he was a great guy. I wish there was a way that he could have gotten a pass to." Elena laid her head on Jeremy shoulder and sniffled, trying not to cry.

"You and I sure got one and if anyone deserved it, it was him." Jeremy sighed heavily and looked to his left once more before shrugging his shoulders and patting her on the head.

"He's sitting in here with us, Elena. I think that were making him sad." Elena jerked her head off Jeremy shoulder and glanced where he was looking at. She wished just once the she would be able to see him the way Jeremy could.

"Ric, you're here right now? I know I never said it, but you are the best substitute father a girl could've asked for." Jeremy sat forward; he had tears in his eyes that he was trying to fight.

"He said that he misses you to Elena." They were interrupted when Damon stood in the doorway, a peculiar look on his face.

"Why are the two of you suddenly so emo? Elena, why did you move your stuff out, are you tired of me already? Ric, we're okay now, you can move on, you don't have to worry about us. I promise I'll keep the children safe." Jeremy frowned as he listened to what Alaric was apparently saying. His face paled as he turned his gaze slowly to Elena and Damon.

"He said he's too worried about us to move on because the worst possible thing has just happened and we're all in grave danger."

* * *

**W**illow found Buffy on the front porch, in a heap. She called for help and almost immediately heard crashing footsteps in her direction. Xander reached her first and between the two of them, they got her safely on the couch inside the living room. Dawn stood off to the side, a tears sliding unnoticed down her cheek as she watched her sister. Willow saw that Buffy was breathing and thanked the goddess for that. She didn't know what that thing was that she had been talking to, but it was just too close to the First. Oz ran into the kitchen and came back with a towel filled with ice. All at once, Buffy jerked awake and came up swinging. Willow had to put up a shield between them so that she wouldn't hit them. When finally, Buffy was able to focus in on the room, she calmed down and accepted the ice pack from Oz. Willow heard her mutter a few swear words under her breath as she place the towel on the sore area of her head. A sob broke through the living room as Dawn launch herself at her sister. Buffy's whole demeanor immediately changed as she returned Dawn's embrace.

"Dawnie, I'm fine I promise someone just sucker punched my head with a chair." Willow scowled and jumped up from her crouched position next to the couch. She began walking around the house, muttering while she went. Oz finally stood up and walked over to her calmly.

"Willow, what has you so freaked out?" She stopped what she was doing and glanced back into the living room to find everyone staring at her with confused expressions. Willow went on to describe her confrontation with whatever that had been in the kitchen. They all sat down and listened with somber expressions, Willow knew that it was hitting close to home. Buffy remained silent for a moment after Willow finished her story. Willow could tell when her fear turned to anger as she jumped up and started pacing.

"It's a good thing that everybody is gonna be here, because we've got lots of research to do."

**A**ngel, Spike, and Gunn all arrived a few hours later. Angel received a warm welcome, but he was shocked when Dawn leapt into spikes arms. Buffy welcomed them all as well, but she too paused on Spike. Angel had told her that he was back and then Andrew had confirmed it for her. She hadn't seen him since that day down in the hellmouth, so she tried to put all of her unspoken words into her hug. They still had a few hours before Giles and the other girls would arrive, which meant they would have to go straight to the meet-up when they got there. They quickly filled Angel and his crew in on what was going on. Willow had excused herself to perform the spell on Gunn because Spike had him on a leash. They all heard it when it happened because it was painful to him and he dropped to his knees. Angel and Spike were very interested in the new types of vampire that Buffy was describing. He'd never heard of anything like it, and Angel definitely wanted to meet them. Giles, faith, Rona, and Kennedy had barely walked to the door when it was time to leave. Damon, Elena, Caroline, Jeremy, and a new person that she hadn't met before were waiting for them. Buffy was able to sense the tension and she dreaded what was gonna happen. Damon stepped forward, his voice tight and his eyes never focusing as he searched everywhere around them.

"We have a problem and we need to go somewhere safer than right here. I understand that you don't want us in your house, my house is definitely out, and Matt isn't here to invite us into Tyler's house. My late Buddy, Alaric, had an apartment around the corner from the grill, so we can all go there…he wants to tell us something." Buffy didn't even want to know what that statement meant.

"Well, you're from here so you lead the way." Damon nodded once and started towards the grill. He kept glancing every which way, which really put Buffy on edge. He led them to a small apartment building and it was difficult to fit everyone in once they were inside the apartment. Once all the introductions were done, Jeremy stepped forward looking slightly embarrassed. Buffy glanced once over at her sister, and silently wished that she'd left her at the house. Jeremy cleared his throat before beginning what he wanted to say.

"I've died…several times and because of one of those times, I can talk to ghosts. The supernaturals that have died in this town are stuck here. Alaric was turned into a vampire before he was killed, so I can see him. He's been keeping an eye on us and well, long story short…Silas is no longer stone. The spell that Bonnie did was bound by her, so when she died, it released him. Stefan, Damon's brother, is apparently his doppelgänger and Silas has done something with him. The really bad news is he's been pretending to be Stefan. Silas is a very powerful psychic and he can get into your head, and look like anyone. Alaric has seen what he's up to so I can tell you what he knows and that's very little."

* * *

**E**lena listened to what her brother was saying and felt the air go out of her. She moved away from Damon's side and went to sit in an armchair away from everybody. He glanced at her once, but he stayed where he was to listen to what Jeremy was saying. Something had happened to Stefan and Silas had been pretending to be him? More than anything, she wished that she could talk to Bonnie…or her mom. She knew that she should be paying attention to what was going on, but sometimes she just wanted to run away and never look back. She felt as if death traveled around her, so that if she left, her friends would be safe. She knew that this was a crazy notion, but she still couldn't help but think it. When she turned to look back into the room, it was empty aside from Caroline. Elena jumped up and move towards her slowly, because Damon would be upset if he couldn't find her.

"Caroline, what's going on, where did everyone go and why didn't I hear them leave the apartment?" Caroline smiled pleasantly and twirled a stake around in her hands.

"Oh Elena, you are so unbelievably naïve, do you know that? We don't want you here anymore; you caused too much damage especially on your emotionless bender. I mean you almost killed Bonnie, you caused Matt's death, Bonnie died so that she could bring Jeremy back for you, and then there's me. Tyler was right about not forgiving and forgetting, I mean how can I? There I was trying to help you get past everything, and you almost killed me! None of this would've come into our lives if it hadn't been for you. I wouldn't be a vampire, Tyler would be human, and Jenna, Alaric, and even Bonnie would still be alive…if you hadn't been so stupid. I'm just gonna give you some advice, that will help us all out." Before Elena could stop her or even react, Caroline flew towards her and shoved a wooden stake into her stomach. Elena doubled over in pain and yelled out, unable to stop herself. Caroline leaned over and whispered in her ear and what she said sent chills through her body.

"You can't stop me little girl, so you should just leave before you really make me mad."

**D**amon was suddenly in front of her and Elena jumped back with a scream. Everyone in the small apartment was staring at her and it took Elena a moment to focus. She looked down at her stomach and sat that there wasn't even a wound where Caroline had stabbed her, it had been in her head. Caroline was kneeling beside Damon in front of her and Elena immediately jumped back and hit the wall behind her, terrified. Pain was still everywhere in her body so it brought her to her knees once more with a groan. Damon inched forward again, but Elena just wanted to get out of that apartment. She took a deep breath and fled out of the apartment, down the steps, and out onto the parking lot before she collapsed again. Faster than her, Damon was still there, pulling her into his arms. He was stroking her hair and whispering nonsense when Stefan strolled up behind him. Elena shoved away from Damon as gently as she could and stood, she wanted to keep the ruse up.

"Stefan, we looked everywhere for you earlier before we left for the meeting." Damon stood up and turned to face him as well, his face hard.

"Yeah Stefan you disappeared, but you seem to be torturing my girlfriend, so can you stop now?" Stefan chuckled and shrugged his shoulders indifferently; he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Well now I don't know about that, Damon. Your girlfriend used my cure on her doppelgänger and now I'm stuck here. I don't really mind, after I thought about it, I like having my face back." Damon stepped protectively in front of her which caused him to laugh at him.

"Please Damon, stop it because you're just gonna make it worse. If I wanted Elena dead, then she would be. I mean really, she did me a favor. She figured my secret out earlier, and I just wanted to let her know that I know. Well now, so this is the so-called vampire slayer who sleeps and allies with vampires…interesting." Elena glanced behind her and saw that Buffy and her people were filing into the parking lot. Silas laughed darkly as everyone filed in behind her.

"Well, this is definitely gonna be fun."


	7. Chapter 7: Visitors

_A/N:__Well so much for posting this the next day, Life and all, lol. So I'm sorry if there are more grammar errors in this chapter than most because I rushed to post it. Hope you like and thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**D**amon stared at the spot where Silas had stood, his whole body filled with loathing. Obviously he had done something with Stefan and he had to find him before it was too late. Maybe he and Elena could have some alone time if they searched together, what a stupid idea. Buffy was talking to the blond vampire she'd brought with her, but the other one was staring at Elena. Damon felt his irritation rise, but it abated slightly when Elena touched his back softly. When he glanced at her, she was smiling softly at him and he immediately pulled her into his arms. When she'd doubled over and cried out, he had known that Silas was messing with her. He had tried for a minute to reach her, but she'd only seen what he wanted her to see. For some reason, Silas couldn't mess with him the way he could other people, he could always tell when it wasn't real. When she broke away, she stared at him with her big eyes threatening to cry and Damon knew what was coming before she even spoke.

"I'm sorry Damon; please don't be upset with me anymore." Damon sighed resignedly and clenched his jaw to hold back an expletive.

"Not fair using that look, Elena, but I'm not. We'll talk about this later when we don't have ten people staring at us." Elena immediately pulled away from him, her cheeks burning causing him to smile. Damon kept his arm around her though as he looked at the group and addressed them.

"That bastard is wearing my brother's face and we have no idea where Stefan actually is." Jeremy moved forward as he glanced to his right, Alaric must have been still with them. He glanced all around the park nervously, before he started to speak.

"Alaric knows where the area is, it's past the quarry a bit. He can give me directions, but he won't be visible outside of the expression triangle. Bonnie put the veil back up, but it limits where they can go now." Damon raised an eyebrow at the way Jeremy was acting and motioned to the empty space around them. He didn't think he was gonna like the answer to the question he was about to ask.

"Can…can you see all of the ghosts, Jeremy? I thought you could only see the ones who want you to see them when the veil is up." Jeremy glanced around and visibly swallowed as he shrugged his shoulders, trying to appear as if it didn't bother him.

"Call it a byproduct or whatnot, but yes I can. Alaric is right next to me, Bonnie is next Caroline, Kol keeps trying to hit Elena, Lexie is pacing in the square, Connor is standing next to Alexander and Vaughn…and they're right next to you." Caroline broke down at Jeremy's words and started sobbing, unable to hold it in. Tyler put a protective arm around her shoulders trying to soothe her, but Caroline burst out with what she needed to say.

"Bonnie, I could kill you for getting yourself killed! The three of us were gonna go to college together for crying out loud!" Jeremy was struggling for composure as he looked at Caroline; Bonnie was obviously speaking to him.

"She says that she misses you and Elena too and that she never meant for it to happen. She wants you to know that she's with her Grams and that she's okay. She'll always be with you and Elena, even if you can't see her." Damon watched the effect those words had on Caroline and Elena and his heart broke for both of them. He hadn't always liked the witch, but deep down he really hadn't wanted her to die. Damon pulled Elena closer as she began to tremble with her grief. He didn't like how out in the open they were so, unfortunately, he had to cut their meeting short.

"That's very strange Jeremy, but useful nevertheless. Look, we need to grieve we do, but we can stand out in the open like this. I'm not sure if it's even a good idea for us to go back to our house. Silas has been living with us for days, pretending to be Stefan. Maybe, for the time being, we need to get the hell out of dodge." Before anyone could respond to this comment, a familiar yet annoying British voice filled the air behind them.

"So, your solution is to run? Granted, I didn't hear most of that conversation, but it's never a good idea to run." Damon turned around and found himself faced with Klaus and Elijah. He was unable to refrain from grimacing as he addressed the two.

"So I guess you took Caroline's phone call as an invite to come back." Klaus smiled his cocky little grin that Damon always wanted to punch off his face. Klaus glanced at his brother momentarily before responding.

"Why yes, she seemed so scared by what was going on that I felt I must check on her, though I see Tyler has returned…oh well. Now, who is this slayer, because I'd very much like to meet her?"

* * *

**B**uffy could tell from their postures that these people were afraid of Klaus, whoever he was. All except for Caroline that was, it seemed that she was almost excited to see him. He was looking at her and her friends, but she wasn't afraid. Buffy was confident though, because if she could defeat to the first, though narrowly, she wasn't going to let some ancient cocky vampire scare her. She could tell that Kennedy wanted to step forward for her. That girl never learned when to stop and she absolutely hated that Buffy was in charge. Buffy glanced at Willow quickly, who nodded as if to say "I got your back." That was enough reassurance for Buffy as she walked over to where Damon and Elena stood in front of this Klaus character. Klaus tilted his head, the grin never leaving his pompous face as he looked at her. It was like Dracula all over again, he thought that she was easy prey and that he could have a simple kill. The other vampire next to him wasn't looking at her though; he was staring between Jeremy and Elena, a smile playing on his lips. It appeared as if he was unable to stand it any longer, because he took two steps towards Elena before speaking.

"Elena, it seems that I've missed a few things while I was gone. You've come back to your humanity, I'm immensely pleased. It also seems that Jeremy has been brought back as well?" Elena moved slightly out of Damon's embrace to address the other vampire, she seemed to relax in front of this one's presence.

"Yes, Damon and Stefan forced my humanity back on…it was awful. Bonnie brought Jeremy back when she put the veil back up, but she died while doing it." Buffy could tell that he was instantly remorseful, it showed on his face. Buffy was surprised because the others didn't relax their stance, only Caroline and Elena seemed comfortable. The more sophisticated vampire bowed his head a moment before replying to what Elena had said.

"I'm truly sorry about that Elena; though I'm thankful you're not alone anymore. I know you have friends and the Salvatore's of course, but nothing really compares to family." Klaus tolerated this interaction, but he interjected finally.

"Yes Elijah you've always been the sentimental one, however I'd like to know who this young lady is. You say that you are the vampire slayer as in THE. Forgive me for finding this amusing, but I really always thought you were just a myth." Buffy was surprised that he'd heard of her at all, so it was refreshing.

"You know I get that a lot actually, but no…I'm her. There are actually lots of this now. The slayer powers have awoken in any potential girl that would be a slayer." He nodded and glanced at everyone around them, still smiling.

"Well it seems as if you have all bonded and are no longer bent on killing each other. You and I should really spar sometime love; I'm a whole different breed." Buffy fought a grin, but lost and rolled her eyes in the process before responding.

"Yeah we'll schedule that, but right now we need to find this Stefan and figure out how to defeat Silas." The smirk fell off of Klaus's face and he stumbled backwards, obviously frightened.

"What do you mean; I thought he was taking care of it." Damon answered him before she could, which was good because she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Bonnie died Klaus, so the spell dissipated then and he was released. Apparently Stefan is his doppelgänger and he's done something with him." Klaus clenched his jaw and nodded, still obviously disturbed.

"All right, everyone can come to my house, and hopefully if we're all together, Silas will keep his mind games to a minimum. Where exactly is the cure, does he still have it?" Buffy had no idea what they were talking about, obviously they needed to discuss a few things but Elena moved forward cautiously to answer him.

"The cure is gone Klaus, I used it." Klaus's frown immediately turned into a smile, it seriously disturbed Buffy. He step towards the younger girl and looked as if he wanted to hug her as he replied.

"Well now that's actually good news, does this mean I can make new hybrids?" As he continued to move closer to Elena though, his smile fell once more and it was replaced with anger as he addressed her coldly.

"Obviously you didn't use it on yourself because you have no heartbeat…what did you do?" Elena seemed reluctant to answer so Buffy interrupted in hopes of distracting him.

"Look, can we get going before this guy comes back? We can talk about wherever this cure is later." No one paid attention to her though as the one called Elijah spoke gently to Elena.

"Did you give the cure to our sister?" Damon snickered and looked down at his girlfriend before speaking.

"Elena you may as well tell them, they're gonna find out eventually anyway." Klaus was becoming annoyed, even Buffy could see that, but Elena was reluctant to tattle. She looked at the ground and then grimaced as she spoke.

"Katherine tried to kill me because Elijah dumped her. She said that I was the reason she had no happy ending because I'd stolen all of her luck, which is ridiculous. I didn't really have a choice because she was going to kill me; her hand was on my heart." Klaus and Elijah stared at Elena for a good sixty seconds before Klaus started to laugh.

* * *

**E**lena didn't know Klaus's moods at all, so she didn't know if he truly found this information funny or for he was about to kill her. It was Elijah that her heart went out to. It was obvious that he still had feelings for Katherine and once again, she had disappointed him. Buffy had moved back to the group of people she had brought and she was talking softly with them. Dawn smiled at Elena when she saw her looking and waved enthusiastically. Elena returned the smile, but looked back at Klaus and Elijah, trying to gauge their mood. Klaus wasn't laughing anymore, but he was talking on the phone, his face tight with irritation. Elijah looks stunned at the news and Elena just waited for the consequences she was sure would follow. Klaus disconnected after a moment, and he looked like he wanted to break his phone. However, he put it back into his pocket and smiled back at Elena pleasantly. Klaus still scared Elena, because even though he smiled he was still very dangerous. He took a few steps towards her and started clapping lightly, causing everybody to glance over at their direction. He stopped only so that he could address her for everyone to hear.

"Bravo Elena, I'm very impressed with you right now. Even I wasn't able to best Katarina, and you, a newbie vampire got the better of her. It's just as well, really because I like the idea of her blood creating my hybrids. I never really liked hurting you, you were so…good. She was always only out for herself, it was obvious, but you were different. Even as a vampire you put yourself last to make sure your family and friends were safe. Well except for your little bender…now that was truly impressive." Elena didn't respond to Klaus as they all started towards their cars. Classes house with a ways away, so driving was the easiest option. He'd pay her complement…it was so unlike him.

**T**hey drove to Klaus's house in silence, but this time Elena was upfront and Damon held her hand as he drove. She almost liked Damon's idea of running better than the option of fighting. They could leave Mystic Falls for a while and live without fear. She wanted to live without having to look over her shoulder constantly…just for a little while. Damon squeezed her hand, as if he knew what she was thinking. The caravan of cars pulled into Klaus's driveway, the atmosphere was thick. Elena didn't know what they hoped to accomplish because Silas seemed so unstoppable. Once all of them were in his spacious living room, they stared at each other uncomfortably. Tyler seemed most out of place, because it was a known fact that Klaus hated him and wanted Caroline. However, he refused to leave Caroline and was standing next to her protectively. Damon was obviously agitated as he started to pace, Klaus eyed him in a suspicious manner, but refrained from speaking. Damon eventually broke the silence as he groaned in frustration.

"I should have gone with Stefan that night, this is partly my fault. I just wish I knew where he was and if he was okay." Elena watched as the young redheaded girl with Buffy took a hesitant step towards him.

"I might be able to see him, and see if I can find him." They all stopped and stared at her, causing her cheeks to turn scarlet. Damon walked over to her, making sure his steps didn't frighten her, so unlike when he originally had shown up in Mystic Falls.

"It's Talia right? If you're willing to try, I'm definitely open to it." She nodded and visibly swallowed as she looked over at Klaus and Elijah.

"I know this is your house, I'm really not trying to be rude, but could the two of you please step into the next room? You can watch if you want, but your energy is clouding my sight." They looked at each other momentarily, and Elena couldn't tell if they were surprised because of her politeness or her bluntness. Elijah bowed to her slightly as he stepped backwards into the other room; however the living room was still visible from where he stood. After a moment's hesitation, Klaus joined him. Klaus was the one to address her, and it made her visibly tenser.

"Of course, whatever you need to find Stefan." Talia looked at Damon, fear etched everywhere on her face.

"Damon, go ahead and sit on the coffee table, I'll have to try and reach your brother from your energy. It's better than trying to use an object like a witch would." Damon nodded and moved to sit on Klaus's mahogany coffee table. Talia went to stand behind him and placed her hands on either side of his head. She closed her eyes as she concentrated; Elena wondered why she was so afraid. After almost 5 minutes, everyone was getting impatient, she gasped.

"It's dark where he is…so dark…and cold. I can feel him, I can feel how scared he is and how hungry, but I can't see his face. I'm gonna try to…oh no." She let go of Damon's head with a gasp and fell onto the couch behind the table. With everyone staring at her waiting for an answer, she whispered something they didn't want to hear.

"He's dying."


End file.
